Comments | stoatshead_hill: RP: Catching Up

shh_ernie in stoatshead_hill

RP: Catching Up

Mar 27, 2007 18:48

Date: 27 March 2005
Characters: Ernie Macmillan, Eleanor Branstone
Location: Eleanor's house, Roma
Status: Private
Summary: Ernie and Eleanor are actually home (and awake) at the same time.
Completion: Complete

( Now that his hours were back to normal, Ernie arrived home before Eleanor. )

place: roma, eleanor branstone, place: private residence, ernie macmillan, march 2005

Comments 51

shh_eleanor March 27 2007, 19:23:03 UTC

Eleanor was excited to see Ernie's bag on the floor next to the front door when she returned home from work. She thought about calling out for him, but decided she'd better not. He was likely tired after working so many long hours, and she didn't want to disturb him if he'd decided to take a nap. Instead she hung up her coat and bag, and made her way to the bedroom. Perhaps she'd lie down with him. That sounded like a nice idea. She'd not really seen him much, despite the fact that they'd been spending more time together than usual. Eleanor wasn't sure it counted when they were sleeping through most of it.

She stepped into the bedroom as Ernie was walking out of the bathroom. Wearing nothing but a towel.

Oh Merlin. Chest, and stomach, and legs. Eleanor's mouth fell open. She shouldn't stare, as it definately was not helping in the whole taking things slow department. She couldn't really help it, though. What the hell had happened to him ( ... )

shh_ernie March 27 2007, 19:43:10 UTC

"Eleanor!" Ernie squeaked out. She wasn't supposed to be...he glanced at the clock. It was after six. When had it become six o'clock?

Probably sometime around the final chorus of Tiny Dancer, the little voice replied.

His hand gripped the towel tightly. Eleanor was staring...at his scar. She was asking about that awful day at the Ministry. And he intended on answering, but lost the ability to speak. Her fingers were trailing the entire length of it from his left pectoral to his right hipbone. Hopeful that she wasn't too bothered by it, Ernie was crushed when she snatched her hand away as if she'd been burned. Eleanor was moving back and stammering something about how he probably wanted to get dressed.

"Right. Dressed," he said, nodding. When she turned around to leave the bedroom, he added softly, "I'm sorry. That you had to see like that. I...I should've warned you. It's not...it's terrible...I..." his voice trailed off. "I'll get my bag and get dressed."

shh_eleanor March 27 2007, 20:15:40 UTC

Eleanor knew that she should go, and give him his privacy. But there was something in his voice that made her turn around. "Ernie, you..." It was hard to keep her eyes on his face. "Didn't know that I would... er, catch you na- coming out of the shower," she said with a blush. Best not to dwell on the nakedness.

"I do wish... that you had, uh... told me. Because I didn't... realize that it had... been that bad." Merlin, she was terrible. It was hard to be supportive when he wasn't wearing any clothing. And she still wanted to steal his towel.

"You really do need to... get dressed." Eleanor cleared her throat and stared at the wall beyond his head. "I, er..." Really need another bath. "Would really... like to... talk to you about... this. But you're very nice to--" No! Not supportive! "I mean... bugger. The nakedness is not helping, Ernie." She really couldn't think of a way to put it tactfully. And she wasn't sure if her face would ever go back to a normal colour.

shh_ernie March 27 2007, 20:35:07 UTC

"The nakedness?" he repeated, blinking. Didn't she mean the scar? That's when he realized that she was very very red. And she wouldn't meet his eyes. Merlin, she wasn't bothered by the scar! She was ogling him. Or rather she was trying not to ogle him.

And now Ernie was embarrassed for an entirely different reason. This was not the time or the place for that to be happening.

"Yes, I'll get dressed," he said as he left the bedroom to get his bag. Once he had it, he ducked into the hall bathroom to get dressed. Boxers, denims, his blue jumper, socks. If they decided to go out, he could always change.

"Elle?" he called out when he stepped into the hallway.

Thread 24

shh_eleanor March 28 2007, 04:08:46 UTC

"No. No, I don't mind," she told him, taking another sip of her wine. She could handle doing his laundry with out thinking dirty thoughts about hime. She was almost sure of it.

She snorted when he asked if dad thought he was a tosser. "Ern, dad didn't call you that. He called Matt that," she reminded him. "And dad and I have come to an agreement. He's going to forget about the other day and start fresh."

Well, he'd said he'd try, anyway. Which was better than nothing.

shh_ernie March 28 2007, 04:15:19 UTC

"And he compared me to the sodding tosser," he reminded her. He was still peeved about that. Ernie would never treat Eleanor the way the stupid wanker had.

When she said that her father was going to forget about the other morning, Ernie nodded. "That's good," he said. "When did you want for me to meet your family?" He paused. "That was one of your father's conditions."

When the waiter stopped by to tell them that their food would be out shortly, he wore a smirk. "Remind me again why I thought going out would be a good idea," Ernie muttered to himself.

shh_eleanor March 28 2007, 04:25:31 UTC

Eleanor would have rolled her eyes at him, but he really seemed to be upset about it. So she refrained. Instead, she reached over to squeeze his hand. "You're nothing like the sodding tosser," she said earnestly. "He was a prat, honestly. Matt the prat." She chuckled. Maybe she shouldn't have anymore wine.

"Yeah, it still is. We can do it whenever you're ready. I told him that you were working long hours, which was true at the time. I'll call and make sure mum's days off haven't changed."

Eleanor shook her head when Ernie started mumbling. If he had forgotten she certainly wasn't going to remind him.

shh_ernie March 28 2007, 04:34:47 UTC

The waiter, while a moron, wasn't a liar. The food arrived not too long after he'd stopped by the table. Ernie draped his napkin on his lap and cut up his chicken. It was a bit spicy and he quickly drained his glass of wine.

"'s hot," he explained as he poured himself another glass and then topped off Eleanor's. "How's yours?"

He looked over at her, mesmerized as her lips closed over her fork. He couldn't help but thinking about her lips other places. Not the time nor the place, he reminded himself as he concentrated on his dinner.

"My hours are normal again. And I actually have days off. So...whenever it would be best for you and your family, I reckon." He took another bite. "I'm a bit nervous," he confided. "I don't have a lot of experience with...er...meeting families."

Thread 22

shh_eleanor March 29 2007, 00:37:53 UTC

Eleanor looked over shoulder at him as she was unlocking the door. "I really don't mind. Like I said, I'm doing my own tomorrow anyway, so it won't be much extra work. Besides, I like to do things for you," she admitted with a blush.

Ernie wandered off to the bedroom while Eleanor went to fetch the bottle of oil from the linnen closet in the hall. She smeared a drop on a piece of paper, as it smelled really strong in the bottle, and this would give Ernie a better idea of what the soap would smell like once it had cured.

He was still in the bedroom when she'd finished, so she headed in that direction as well. "Ernie?" she asked softly from the doorway. It probaby wouldn't be the best idea to go inside. Instead she held the scrap of paper out to him. "It's, uh, woodsy. I used some pine and cedar, and some other notes. Nutmeg if I remember right, and rosewood. Oh thats not flowery, by the way. I wrote it all down, in case you do like it."

shh_ernie March 29 2007, 00:58:57 UTC

Ernie took the paper and cautiously sniffed it. It smelled remarkably like his aftershave. "You made this?" he asked, slightly amazed. He'd never be able to do anything like that. "It's..." He grinned. "I won't have any problem using the soap."

He closed the space between them before kissing her cheek. "Thank you. And this goes beyond normal couple things. So I'm allowed to thank you." He moved back slightly, wanting her to know he meant what he'd said about not rushing her.

"Er...when will I see you again?" Not coming home to her would take some adjustment, he reckoned.

shh_eleanor March 29 2007, 01:25:37 UTC

Eleanor nodded, and then grinned back. "Brilliant. I'll definately get started tomorrow then."

Eleanor resisted the urge to wrap her arms around him and kiss him properly. Though it wasn't easy. "You're welcome. I enjoyed it, actually." She stifled a sigh as he stepped back. Was it too late to ask him to stay? She was going to miss having him there with her.

"Well, you can see me tomorrow when you pick up your laundry," she said, raising an eyebrow at him. "And you can stay for dinner too, if you have time."

shh_ernie March 29 2007, 01:34:03 UTC

"Time? For you?" Ernie furrowed his brow, pretending to consider his schedule. Then he smiled. "Of course I have time. But really, you're going to spoil me. Doing my laundry and cooking me dinner?"

He stared for a moment. "I should probably be going." He leaned in and gave Eleanor a gentle kiss. 'I will not lose control,' he repeated in his head. 'I will not lose control.'

Thread 5